Mary Burke Baker is a government affairs counselor in the Washington, D.C. office. Mary focuses on federal tax matters affecting businesses—including domestic and multi-national corporations and all types of pass-through entities—and individuals. Her practice covers tax policy, tax reform, regulatory and other guidance, tax administration and technical tax issues, with particular emphasis on the OECD and the European Union, accounting methods, energy and medical device issues, and FBAR compliance matters for individuals.
Mary consults with and advises Congressional, Treasury and IRS staff on tax reform and international tax policy issues. She stays abreast of current tax policy developments on the Hill and around the world and keeps clients up-to-date, together with political insights and analysis regarding the significance of these developments. She helps clients assess risks and opportunities in the ever-changing legislative and regulatory environment, and develops and executes strategies to achieve desired legislative and administrative outcomes. She offers technical analysis and drafts comment letters in response to regulatory projects, working groups and other tax policy initiatives. Mary leads the Cash to Accrual Coalition and the Like-kind Exchange Coalition, and serves on the steering committee of the LIFO Coalition. She assists individual taxpayers who are participating in the IRS Offshore Voluntary Compliance Program to comply with FBAR and FATCA filing requirements.
Mary serves on the Board of Directors of the Real Tax Policy Group, which features bi-weekly sessions with top Administration and Congressional tax officials. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Time of Grace, an international media ministry.
Prior to joining K&L Gates, Mary served for six years with the Senate Committee on Finance. In that position, she managed several major tax bills for Committee Chairman Baucus, including FATCA, international reforms, basis reporting, and credit card reporting; she also worked closely on ACA and economic stimulus provisions, and managed and maintained the revenue offset list. Mary managed committee hearings; oversaw IRS policies, programs, and initiatives; and worked on tax reform measures. She authored many floor statements, opening statements and press releases on behalf of Chairman Baucus concerning corporate, small business and individual tax policy and tax administration matters. She also was responsible for vetting the financial information, including tax documents, for all Administration nominees falling under the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee. During her time with the committee, Mary was featured in Tax Analysts as a congressional staffer influencing tax policy. Mary also served at the Internal Revenue Service for more than 25 years in a variety of technical and management positions, including large case team coordinator and Manager of the Office of Tax Shelter Analysis. During her time with the Service, Mary materially contributed to numerous IRS guidance documents, including coordinated issue papers and industry director's directives. While at the IRS, she received many performance awards, including District Employee of the Year.